Decided to start a little thread, documenting my journey and the vertical learning curve i seam to have been on. Like most, i got furloughed when covid kicked off and got bored so decided to get more into coffee. One thing after another with lots of reading on various forums, YouTube tutorials and what not,i bought a gaggia classic. [upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/ATQnfMS.jpeg] Along with that i decided to get a 1zpresso for my grinding as i have a wilfa svart for all my pour overs etc. Well after wasting a good 500g of beans on the gaggia, i decided it wasn't for me, and promptly sold it. Decided on the sage duo temp pro which i was initially going to buy in the first place,quick look and £249 later john lewis delivered my shiney new machine [upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/TWUem7I.jpeg] Now as much as i loved the 1zpresso, my shoulder didin't so, that got sold in favour of an eureka mignon from [@Black Cat Coffee](https://www.coffeeforums.co.uk/members/16888/) Next up the upgraditus got a hold of me as i wanted a fancy looking machine, and i got a bit of a dark horse off ebay A la macatec elba one, e61 grouphead. [upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/Pg6PmPa.jpeg] I had long lusted over a dual boiler, mainly the lelit Elizabeth, with its pre infusion, quick heat up times it really is a fantastic machine, but id also noted the acs minima, another machine along the more traditional looks, and the looks along with the bigger boilers swayed it for me. [upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/uxgb5uM.jpeg] So in the never ending revolving door of grinders with me, after having a eureak zenith 65, a niche and another mignon i saw a lightly used 2019 mazzer major on ebay, i added a Daniel wong doserless kit at the time, since gone to a funnel, even added ssp redspeed burrs [upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/4P2ynGd.jpeg] I was going to used bottled water, either ashbeck or longhill, but then i spoke to a few in the know and did a bit of digging and settled on using ro water, remineralised with potassium bicarbonate, this will never scale the machine and makes for a tastey espresso to. After only having the minima for a short while a lever machine caught my eye, a 2014 londinium l1 - that was it i was in love, i sold the minima to fund the l1 and that was me set, the londinium moved home with me. [upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/NF46adN.jpeg] i had a stunning set of handles turned by nick, they really sent the machine to another level, and i was happy in my own little coffee world, id been toying with med/lighter stuff but always found then too bright, to acidic to my taste, then one day the pressure relief valve blew on the l1, scared me to death, and that set about a refurb of the machine, but id lost all confidence, and decided now we had a bit of equity, that i would buy my first propper new machine, i lusted over the top spec londiniums but at £3500 ish they were just too much. the next machine came from bella barista, a crem one profiler, very capable machine, but arrived faulty, so had to go back, i have an amazing wife who said just get the machine you want, so i did, an lr24 stunner it was too, but sadly again came with issues and i returned the machine, :( after a little search i settled upon the lelit bianca- id always fancied a vesuvius profilong machine, but they too were expensive, so the lelit was the machine of choice, (2months later the ves dropped in price!!) [upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/xOGfGUS.jpeg] and there a sat, happy as a pig in mud, the lelit a fabulos machine, quiet rotary pump, flow control, great heat stability, tbh it was almost boring as it just did its job, i still longed for another lever machine, once there in your blood they stick, they just look amazing. and what should pop up but an acs leva…a machine id been quite skeptical about, any lever seems to be quite polarising, just seems to be that way. id heard rumors read stuff saying how the machine was a miss match of parts, no good etc. but they still looked amazing, id followed the machine for a while and at the price it came up, prompted by a life even i thought stuff it! we're here once, get it! and that leads me to now. [upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/ErMqxfw.jpeg] its been an up and down journey, ive jumped on fads bought stuff that i totally didnt need, learnt less is definately more, when it comes to coffee, ive noticed that each step ive taken up the ladder, ive inproved my coffee, each machine has been better than the last, starting would i imagined id of spent so much for a coffee - hell no, am i glad i did - yes jake

@"Cuprajake"#p12617 That’s quite a quite a journey Jake! It’s amazing how much you persevered. A classic example for some one to learn and understand what it takes to keep the passion for coffee alive. The best part is your wife firmly supporting so that you get what you desire. Enjoy making coffee with Evo. She offers plenty of possibilities to keep you busy. Hope she stays with you for ever!

Unlike Jake, we mostly stayed pour overs - mainly the Indian filter for a good part of our life with occasional £100-£150 machines. When the last machine died on us in late 2020, we kept moving the goal post from Gaggia to Minima to Evo. The 150 quids to £2500 is indeed a massive upgrade. Sure, she is our end game machine.

Jake’s corner was great reading during the pandemic

Fabulous post @"Cuprajake"#144 most interesting. It's terrific to have that pictorial guide to your journey. Thanks for taking the time to share.

@"Cuprajake"#p12617 Great post, shows the journey for many of us. Some go there in one big jump, others take the longer road, which is probably more fun..

id of saved a small fortune going big first, but i dont think id of learnt or appreciated the subtle changes. ive had some fabulous products half not pictured haha

So with a great machine comes great responsibility 🤣 i mean gadgets and we all love new stuff True to form ive ordered a funnel, doesn't fit, ive ordered a ims basket, and a normcore 58.5mm push tamper, with a plan to machine it down to fit the basket, for a mrs safe tamp🤣 Few internal pic [upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/8Yb02jB.jpeg] Then an arty one [upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/E2J62vo.jpeg]

Great journey to finally end up where you are today. Best way to learn what you do a don’t like regarding machines and your coffee.

Really enjoyed reading about the journey! That’s quite a few machines! Some very nice looking machines too! I love the turned handles on the first lever machine.

nick didnt, they were a very hard thing to make, had to design and make special mandrels due to the way the londinium handles are made,

My Coffee Journey

CoyoteOldMan

Knluk Why is the high price?

It’s made in Switzerland. A country where a 0.5 lt bottle of cold water from a shop will set you off CHF5 (£4) and a supermarket checkout assistant makes CHF50,000 (£40k) a year - but still cannot make a decent living on that salary.

Knluk Am I right to understand that there are relatively (/and significantly) fewer people who change from lever to pump?

There are also fewer lever models and manufacturers…

Knluk

CoyoteOldMan i see. The bottle water is £3 in U.K. not too far from that in Switzerland. Guess that’s why the made in U.K. lever machine costs higher.

Cuprajake do you like the size of bianca or Evo more when working with it? I do appreciate bianca occupy much less worktop space but I guess it is no fun working in a machine too small. Which one do you prefer aesthetically as display?

Cuprajake

I do think we are spoilt for choice, in part from @DavecUK and his constant work with manufacturers to push the industry.

Bar a lever I did fancy a profiling machine, I looked at a decent, but the vibe pump put me off, the Vesuvius was too much so I got the cream one profiler, but it was faulty. So then I got the londinuim lr24 which was also faulty, that went back and I almost got a bezzera duo with the quick heat group, but knew I’d of kicked myself down the line for not going e61 and flow control so went to the Bianca, and was very happy with it, then my lever popped up used at a cracking price, I had a friend pass and thought stuff it, were only here once.

Cuprajake

I do think we are spoilt for choice, in part from @DavecUK and his constant work with manufacturers to push the industry.

Knluk

Cuprajake I think except the pull down effort of leva?

Cuprajake

Sorry should expand,, that the spring does the work not the man, so if I pull the lever faster or slower there’s no impact on the shot where as on a la pavoni it would alter pressure

CoyoteOldMan

Knluk The bottle water is £3 in U.K

It may be £3 in a fancy café (or Starbucks), but from a corner shop, even in London, it’s £0.80 😉 but in any case, yes, the UK is also expensive which is one reason why the Londinium is expensive. Then again, the Profitec 800 is made in Germany, and prices there aren’t low… but it’s half the price of a Londinium.

Cuprajake

Go Tesco and 5 litres is less than a quid.

The Londo is expensive because it’s made by franchino then reiss has his mark up ontop of that,

I’ve noticed it also cost €500 to send one to the EU 🤯

Like anything in life you make your choice etc, I can’t see the value in a lmlm

MediumRoastSteam

Cuprajake I’ve noticed it also cost €500 to send one to the EU

Are you sure? I thought that’s if you want taxes added at the purchase price rather than the customs surprise on arrival, I.e: pre-paid duties and customs.

CoyoteOldMan

Cuprajake Go Tesco and 5 litres is less than a quid.

Yes, but it’s not in a fridge. Evian in big bottles from a supermarket in Switzerland costs roughly the same as it does in the UK; it’s if you want it cold that you pay extortionate prices, as they need to cover the labour cost of filling the fridge (and the electricity for running it).

Cuprajake I wonder if the EU do like the UK and Inc shipping costs in the total 🤬

Yep. It’s international agreements on Tariffs (old “GATT”, now WTO) that set how to calculate custom duties and taxes.

Cuprajake

Yeah, that’s what I mean, there another chunk ontop, not sure what EU import costs are, but there’s no shipping price it wouldn’t let me check that.

I wonder if the EU do like the UK and Inc shipping costs in the total 🤬

Cuprajake

So it’s been 6months now since getting the Evo and it continues to impress

The ease of use, maintenance and the coffee it makes.

It’s a joy to use, and what really makes it, esp now with the energy prices going up, is how it takes 15 minutes to be ready to brew and even when I want to change brew temps from mine to the Mrs beans it’s only a few minutes to change 3degrees.

The niche works well for med nutty choc beans and the SSP mazzer great for the fruity stuff.

Beans wise I’ve just refreshed my order with Horsham, after having their nova blend, and a discount code I’ve ordered some more fruity stuff.

Cuprajake

So I bought a vacuum sealer

First go

DavecUK

I hope those are a little soft and not bricked!

Cuprajake

They are now ☺️

Every day is a learning day

MediumRoastSteam

DavecUK When you brick em, all the oils and volatiles think yipee! and come to the surface…which you don’t want

I’ve been bricking them for a while now, and never noticed any adverse effect. I use them after months and I never noticed any oils coming to the surface, not for the coffee I usually drink at least.

I’ll leave some slack next time now that I know this.

Cuprajake - think on your vac sealer there’s a “dry” and “wet” vacuum and seal modes. The “wet” mode will leave a little slack.

DavecUK

When you brick em, all the oils and volatiles think yipee! and come to the surface…which you don’t want. Far better to get all the air you can out, without introducing any negative pressure…which means a little slack.

Rigid container vacuum systems are even worse for this!

Cuprajake

There squishy now

LMSC

MediumRoastSteam I do see some broken beans when I let the auto vac and seal take over. I now stop when I think it has sucked enough out and seal. Like you, there are no noticeable difference in taste even after storing it for 3 months. The opened bags will go into double dose IKEA canisters, which stay fresh for even for 3 weeks.

The wet mode is a good idea.

Cuprajake

Thanks, it’s all new so gotta start somewhere

CoyoteOldMan

LMSC The opened bags will go to double dose IKEA canisters

I read this as “will go to double dose IKEA customers” and I went:- Hang on, does he work at IKEA?

This was post morning caffeination too…

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